GOWDA SARASWATH BRAHMIN community

Ohm Namo Venkateshaya

2008-09-15T10:25:00.000-07:00

A thousand times we here " GOVINDA " at the Devasthanams ,at the top of thirumala venkatadri and a great relaxation of mind afterwards.After reaching at the top of venkatadri
at Sri Venkateswara Temple "THE WORLDS RICHEST TEMPLE" and where the worlds powerful force is concentrated according to hindu vishwasa,after going through all the 51 hair pins bends we feel like in heaven."Govinda......".Most of all the dharsana of the "Govinda " is one of the great things i have achieved in my life.

Arattu -feb-2008

2008-03-22T11:51:00.000-07:00

VAHANA
ARATHI

LORD VEDAVYASA

2007-07-01T07:33:00.000-07:00

The 'Mahabharata' remains a marvel in the literature of the world. Veda Vyasa was the sage who gave the world this Storehouse of realism, wisdom and compassion. And he was the guide to whom seven generations of the high and the humble looked up in hours of sorrow and darkness.
FOR MORE REFERENCE see alsoLORD VEDAVYASA

HISTORY OF THE KASHI MUTT

The Kashi Mutt was founded in the year 1542 AD,with Shri Vyasaraghupati as the main deity

Before the Kashi Mutt came up, most of the Vaishnava Goud Saraswat Brahmins were followers of Shri Uttaradi Mutt. During the 15th century, Sri Ramachandra Tirtha of Uttaradi Mutt initiated two to sanyasa - Vibhudendra Tirtha and Sri Vidhyanidhi Tirtha. The latter became head of Uttaradi Mutt and Sri Vibhudendra Tirtha founded a new Mutt at Kumbhakonam which came to be known as Purvadi Mutt (later became Raghavendra Swamy Mutt since the great saint Raghavendra of Mantralaya fame belonged to this Mutt). Because of its proximity to South Kanara and Kerala, the Gowda Saraswats were transferred to this Mutt.

Later when Surendra Tirtha became the head of the Mutt at Kumbhakonam, one of his disciples, Vijayindra Tirtha undertook a Chaturmasya(a religious event lasting four months) at Cochin in 1539–1540. Here, he selected Sri Hanumantha Bhaktha and was given deeksha as Yadavendra Tirtha. Yadavendra Tirtha went on to become become head of the new Kashi Mutt at Varanasi established in 1542 AD. Shri Kumbhakonam Math gave two idols of Shri Vyasa and Shri Raghupati to Shrimat Yadavendra Tirtha along with the rights to guide the Gowd Saraswats.
The Kashi Mutt follows a "Guru" system, where in the head of the Mutt appoints a "shishya", who succeeds the Guru after his death. The Mutt has been following the Guru system since it came into being and has been running smoothly to this date.
Shrimat Raghavendra thirtha swamiji is the current head of the Mutt.In his case the
Guru sree Sudheendra thirtha gave him all the powers in 1994.And currently the vedavyasa vigraha is with Raghavendra thirtha swamiji!and he is carrying out the daily pujas for the lord up to this date.

Sree Raghavendra thirtha swamiji

2007-06-15T13:33:00.001-07:00

Kashimathathipathi Sree Raghavendra thirtha swamiji during one daily pooja ! LORD VYASA

SREE KULADEVATHA MANDIRA SAMUCHAYA:-Ambhalamukal/Ambhalamedu-682303

2007-06-10T07:45:00.000-07:00

The kuladevatha mandir was built near Sree Varadendra balakasrama, Ambhalamedu, on 1994. On 1994 feb-28 th the prathishta maholsava was conducted ,as suggested ,by Sree Sudheendrathirtha swamiji.The Vigrahas were brought from tamilnadu ,made up on krishnasila,.The main prathishtas are 8 kuladevathas navagrahas and 5 panchalohavigrahas!
Silpi on puja at tamilnadu from where the vigrahas were brought !

1.Sree Damodhar
2.Sree Devakikrishna ravalnath
3.Sree Lakshmi narasimha mahamaya
4.Sree Mahaganapathi
5.Sree Mahalasa narayani
6.Sree Mahalakshmi
7.Sree Nagesh
8.Sree Ramanath santheri kamakshi(not shown)
!KULADEVATHAK PRANAM!
The Kuladevatha mandir map is shown below
MAP

Near by temples of Thirumala devaswam

2007-05-17T10:58:00.002-07:00

Shree Bhadra Narasimhaswami Temple
T D Road
Ernakulam
Cochin 682035

The idol installed in this temple was the family deity of Sri Venkateshwara Bhat Archak of the Thirumala Temple of Ernakulam. As per the directions of H H Srimad Sudheendra Theertha Swamiji, a trust was formed to manage the temple on 2.5.86. On 3.7.87, foundation stone was laid by them and the reconstruction ceremony was performed by His Holiness on 24th March, 1989.

The temple celebrates the festivals of Vasantha Pooja, Narsimha Jayanthi, Vinayaka Chaturthi, Anantha Vritha, etc. annually.

Sri Durga Devi Temple
T D Road
Ernakulam
Cochin 682035

The temple was built in 1934 by 4 sons of Naga Prabhu. Stone idol of presiding deity Sri Shanta Durga was installed along with that of Bethal and four other upadevathas. Daily Pooja, monthly homas, Rudrabhishekha, annual Prathisth day ceremonies, Sata Kalashabisheka etc. are conducted by the Kula Purohit of the family. Eldest male member of the family manages the temple with the contribution from all members of the family for the prescribed rituals.

Sri Ernakulam Tirumala Devaswom ( T D Temple )
T D Road
Ernakulam 682035

The temple was established in 1727 A.D. with Pratishta of Sri Laxmi Venkatesha as Chief Deity. Other Parivara devatas like Sri Mahalakshmy, Sri Ganapathy, Sri Hanuman and Sri Garuda were installed later on. Since then renovations have been done from time to time. Work of Suvarna Garuda Vahanam costing Rs. 50 lakhs was completed in 1989.

Sri Gopalkrishna Swami Devaswom
T D Road
Ernakulam
Cochin 682035

One of the most prominent among family temples in Kerala. The idols were brought from Goa to save it from destruction of the Portuguese, to save our religion, rituals and culture.

The presiding deity here is the kuladevata of Bharadwaj Gotra, Atri Gotra Gowda Saraswaths. This temple closely resembles th the famous temple at Marshel in Goa.

Sri Krishna Vadyar who was grand sire and leader of 10 families immigrated here, erected this temple. Later his brother Achutha Vadhyar moved to Ernakulam with the idol and settled down there. The Sixtieth anniversary of the consecration of Gopalkrishna Swamy temple was celebrated in Feb. 1976 under guidance of H H Sudheendra Theertha Swamiji.

The suvarna garuda vahana of Sree punjabjapuresh

2007-05-17T10:16:00.000-07:00

The suvarna (golden)("bangra" in konkani bangar=gold)garuda vahana of Sree punjabjapuresh,was
dedicated to the deity by the people (GSBs)of punjabjapuram,
it costed about 50 lakhs when it was made in 1989,during the
days of " Adhikari" Sree Rama prabhu in thirumala devaswam.
A combined work of the GSBs ,to please the god.Almost all
families donated their welfare & money for the development of
suvarna garuda.There is also a rupea garuda(silver) in devaswam.
During all arattu ,the suvarna garuda and rupea garuda puja are
being conducted at night.The suvarna garuda puja of kochin thirumala devaswam is a well known puja among the garuda pujas.Almost all gsb temples have vahanas like garuda sesha
ayiravatha etc
Sree Sudheendra thirtha swamiji during one "bangra gurida puja".

Sri Ernakulam Tirumala Devaswom

2007-05-06T08:39:00.000-07:00

The Sri Ernakulam Tirumala Devaswom Temple is on Panjabjapuram,T D Road, Ernakulam, Cochin, was established in 1727 A.D, with Sri Laxmi Venkatesha as the chief deity. Other deities like Sri Mahalakshmy, Sri Ganapathy, Sri Hanuman and Sri Garuda were installed later on. Since then renovations have been done from time to time.The idol orginally was the Kuladevata of Sri Dhamodhara Achari who migrated from Goa.Eight of the families who migrated from Goa, settled in Ernakulam. Shri Dhamodhara Achari was one among them who has brought his Kuladevata Shri Venkatachalapathy and worshipped in his house. Later the eight families wanted to establish a temple for this idol at this place. They approached the local chieftains (the five Kaimal families) to give them land for this purpose. The five Kaimals were locally called 'Anchu Kaimal' (Anchu means five in Malayalam) and the present Ernakulam was called 'Anchu Kaimal' area in those days. Even today in local Konkani the place is referred as "Enchikammel".

The prominent among the Kaimals Sri Cheranallur Kartha donated about 2 acres of land for construction of the temple. A small temple was constructed and the idol was installed there in 1727 A.D along with a Ganapathy idol. The Cochin Tirumala Devaswom donated two idols for worship to this temple. Later the temple was expanded and the Agrasalas were constructed and the Second Prathistra in the renovated temple was done in 1780 AD. The Dwaja Prathista (flag post) was erected in 1823 AD. When Sri Dasa Prabhu was the Devaswom administrator, he ignored the committee (Yogakkars) and in conflict deposited keys of the temple in Cochin Tirumala Devaswom in 1829 AD. Thus, the temple came under the administration of Cochin Tirumala Devaswom and the cold war started between the Cochin and Ernakulam members. The community in Ernakulam objected to the administration of Cochin Tirumala Devaswom, and declared independence. In 1877 AD, the governance was handed over back to members in Ernakulam. The temple was again renovated and prathista mahotsav was conducted in 1897 AD.
The temple pond with "arattu mandapam"& The gopuram

The 250th year of the first Prathista was celebrated in 1977 AD and an attractive Gopuram was constructed in front of the temple at the entrance from the TD Road to commemorate this occasion. The Gopuram was inagurated by Srimad Sudheendra Thirtha Swamiji of Kashi mutt on 15 Jan 1977.
The temple pond is at just outside the main temple on the left side of the main entrance. The "Arattu mandapam" at the center of the tank is for taking the Lord for Snanam or Bath on the last day of the Annual temple festival.

Adherence to Religion :

2007-05-04T00:15:00.001-07:00

One of the most important features of the community is their adherence of their religion and preservation of their religious worship by building temples to cater to the needs of the community in towns and villages they settled.
In the installation of images in most of the Gowda Sarswat temples, the Gowda Saraswats were actuated by the motive of propagating the Venkateswara Cilt. Thus it is that the Image Lord Venkateswara is installed in these temples. A research conducted in the records kept in the Regional Office of the Kerala State Archives; Ernakulam' it was found that the Worship of Venkateswara as the presiding deity in the temples of Gowda Saraswats, originated from the Cochin Thirumala Temple. In one of the records kept in the Archives Department of Kerala (Thirumala Devaswom record series 10, dated 1023-5-10 M.E. Memorandum submittedto the british Resident of Travancore) it was stated that the view current amongst the people that the Image of Lord Venkateswara was bought first from the konkan District to Cochin is incorrect. It was after the settlement of the Konkanis (Saraswats) in Cochin abandoning their native land Konkan, SrimadVijayandra Tirtha Swami of Kumbakonam Mutt cameover to Cochin and made a temporary stay there. The Mahajanams of Cochin who were then having link with the Kumbakonam mutt came to know that a miraculous Image of Lord Venkateswara was with the Swamiji and wanted the Image should be installed in Cochin Temple as the main deity. When the Swamiji found that the people would get prosperity and happiness if the image of Lord Venkateswara was installed and worshipped in Cochin temple the Swamiji acceeded to the request made by the Cochin temple Mahajanams for installation if the image in Cochin temple itself. The wishes of the Swamiji that the Image should be given a bath in gold coins, "Kanakabishka" were fulfilled by the Mahajanams and the gold coins handed over to the Swamiji by the Mahajanams, and the Image was permanently installed in the Cochin temple as the main deity of the Sarswaths. Gradually Saraswats residing in other parts of Kerala also installed Image of Lord Venkateswara as the presiding deity in their temples. It was stated, "that from this first estalblishment serveral other pagodas have been formed and settled in different disticts and the said Thirumala Devaswom (Cochin TD Temple) has like wise co operated in building and supporting them, as well as directing their several duties in it, and in assisting the individuals to carry in their business in life (taken from Thirumala Devswom records, state archives , Ernakulam Para 2 & 3 of the respresentation dated 23-6-1820).

STORY OF THE COCHIN VENKATESHWARA DEITY

2007-05-02T09:10:00.000-07:00

Sri Vijayindra Tirtha of Kumbakonam mutt gave this magnificent idol of Lord Venkatewara to the GSB community at Cochin.
During 15th Century AD, the Vijayanagar Kingdom was ruled by a pious king Saluva Narasimha, one of the popular royal dynasties of ancient India. This king was an ardent devotee of Lord Venkateswara of Tirupati and used to visit the temple by walking up the hill for worship. When the king became old, and incapable to walk, it is said that the king's prayers were answered by the Lord.

One day a sculptor appeared before him and agreed to make an idol of the Lord for his daily worship. The king gave the sculptor the required materials for making the idol and the sculptor shut himself up in a room. As he did not come out of the room even after a reasonably long period, the room was broken open only to see the idol of the Lord, the sculptor missing. It is believed that the Lord himself came as the sculptor and the idol is considered as Swayambhu or self born. The king built a temple for the idol and he was instructed by the Lord in his dreams to consecrate the idol during the auspicious time, when the heavenly drums dundubhi would be heard. As fate would have it, some crows happened to fly over the royal drums with twigs in their beaks and the twigs accidentally dropped on the drums producing a sound, which was mistaken for the auspicious hour indicated by the Lord. The idol was duely consecrated at that hour which was inauspicious.The grief stricken king was pacified by the Lord in his dreams that He would remain with him till his death, after which he would leave for a place by name Gosripuram. After the demise of the king, a great fire broke out in the kingdom and the idol was thrown into a dilapidated well. As the legend has it, Swami Vijayendra Thirtha of Sree Kumbhakonam Mutt who happened to traverse that region during one of his tours, is said to have been led by a serpent to the well wherein the idol of the Lord was deposited. The Swamiji recovered the idol from the well and started worshipping the idol along with his other idols. Swami Vijayendra Tirtha visited Cochin and performed Chaturmasa Vrita among the Gowda Saraswat Brahmin Community of Cochin. Upon seeing the radiance of the idol, the community of Cochin under the leadership of Sri Mala Pai, requested the idol from the Swamiji.

The Swamiji agreed to hand over the idol in exchange for a heap of gold coins that would immerse the idol. All the gold coins brought in by the wealthy Mala Pai could cover only the body of the idol and not its tip. It was presumed that the Lord did not want to stay at cochin as a property of an individual. Only gold coins and ornaments brought in from the home of every community member could cover the tip of the idol. Kanakabishekam, a symbolic ritual of this immersion of the idol in gold is performed to the Lord even to this day during any special occasion

The Thirumala Deity:

2007-04-26T10:08:00.000-07:00

Prof: Das Gupta further adds : "the king of Travancore was exceedingly angry to hear of the massacre. Both Devaresa and Nagendra , the Son of Ranga Pai , were his agents and between them took care of a great deal of his money. He urged the Dutch to take vengeance and , then to pay him a proper compensation. Infact he went so far as to offer assistance. But the English (Mr. Powney, the English company's agent) intervened, and the the King of Travancore had to withdraw from the dispute. A face saving compramise for the Dutch was reached but the sense of older security did not return". It was not tilll the english power was firmly established in Cochin, says the Grandavari of Cochin, "that the konkanies and christians became finally free from molestations".

The persucted Konkanies then fled to Thuravoor and Alleppey in Travancore and presented their grievances to the Raja thru Dewan Kesavadas who assured them that he would bring about their return to and stay at Cochin as before and in the interim allowed them to stay at Alleppey. At Alleppey , they installed their god's image , Thirumala Devar, which they took care to preserve on the banks of Alleppey Canal.

Sakthan Thampuran them made vain attempts to bring back Thirumala Deity frm Alleppey to Cochin. In reply to a Thitooram, form them Raja of Cochin ( 12-7-968 M. E / 1792 , State Archives , Ernakulam). Dewan Chembaga Raman kesavan of Travancore States, "I dare say their (Sarasvats) fears will be removed if your Highness , as I adviced your Highness whilst at cochin", would send Thitooram on the subject to the Adhikaries, Mahajanams and sanyasi of the Thirumala Devaru. The Thitooram which your Highness, may be pleased to send them should be so written as to assure them of your Highness's protection as dispel all further doubts from their minds". In reply to another Thitooram from Raja of Cochin, the Dewan of Travancore further writes (Dated 13-8-968 M.E. / 1792, "..... I will send for the konkanies and inform them of the Contents of your Highness's Thitooram and will endeavour to pursuade them to appear before your Highness".

The Raja also made attempts to get back the Thirumala Deity through the Dutch Government functioning at Cochin. In his letter (No. 378/74/, I series, dated 26/11/970/1794 A.D., State Archives, Ernakulam), the Raja of Cochin "requests the Commandore to order that the Thirumala Devaswom Fund kept as a deposit in the secetariat should be made over to Palliat Menon (Prime Minister of Cochin) who will receice on behalf of Devaswom to make arrangements for the proper conducting of the temple ceremonies before the celebration of 'Choroonoo' (Ceremony of giving the new born child Prince of Cochin to eat for the first time with preliminary oblations to fire)". The Raja further stated in his letter that on consulting astrologers it was found that the Cochin Royal family had incurred the severest displeasure of the Cochin Thirumala Deity.

After the death of Sakthan Thamburan, Raja Kerala Varma who sucesseded him took keen interest in the image & wish to get it back to Cochin. He even addressed a letter to Col. Munro (991 M.E/ 1816 A.D) wherein he stated that "as the rheumatic and hermein disease which we have been suffering from has grown more serious now & since no visible cure has been affected not withstanding that several physicians have treated the disease and as , on consulting astrologers , it turns out that we have incurred the serevest displeasure of the Cochin Thirumala Deity and that the disease will be cured if the Thirumala Deity is returned to Cochin, consecration effected and the poojas commenced...." (State Archives Ernakulam ). The Raja therefore requested Col. Munro to use his good offices for restoration of the image in question to Cochin; But the request was turned down by the then resident as a result of urgent representation of Travancore officers that the "presence of the image was considered to be intimately connected with the prosperity of the Port of Alleppey" (Minutes of consultation , dated 19-8-1858 , Political Department by T.Pycorft, Chief Sec. Madras).

It was only after the settlement of the Cochin Konkanies at Alleppey that the place began to develop into a center of commerce. The konkanis build 'Pandikasala' and started doing extensive business. It was during the prime ministership of the Diwan Kesavadas who recommended the case of Konkanies to the Raja of Tranvancore for their stay at Alleppey, that the new port of Alleppey came into being with better harbour facilities. The desparate Konkanies of Cochin planned the recovery of the Image by hook or crook. Ultimately the Image was clandestinely brought back to Cochin on the midnight of 8th Feb 1853. The object was laudable and it being 1853 there was no risk of a head being lost. Since it was found that the Raja of Cochin had his hand in the Robbery, the Maharaja of Travancore put in a lenghtly complaint with the governor of Fort, St. George through the resident , Trivandrum for the restitution of the Image in question , and the whole matter was referred to the Hon. Court of directors Madras, and a long drawn out suit ensued between the two states , Cochin & Tranvancore. The Konkanies of Cochin got through all ordeals and finally the Idol was duly reinstated in the Cochin Temple itself.

Consequent History

2007-04-26T10:03:00.000-07:00

The year 1791 was marked by the terrible persecution of the konkanies at the hands of Raja Rama Varma, Known in Cochin Historyas Sakthan Thampuran. Shortly after ascending the gaddi the Raja demanded a contribution of jaggery from the Konkanies. On refusal, the Raja arrested a number of Konkanies and ordered them to pay customs to the king thereby violating the agreement which the Dutch had made in the year 1772.

Letters were exchanged between the Raja of Cochin and the Dutch Governor, an abstract from which reads thus. "Owing to H. H. 's oppression of the Konkanies and imprisonment of the T. D Authorities , the Dutch have determined to station a military detachement at Chellayi to protect them, and insist on recall of H. H. 's guard stationed there and warns of the serious consequences of the conduct of H. H. 's (NO. IXVI / 1 State Archives, Ernakulam dated 17-7-1771) I series ( No. 379/5, State Archives Ernakulam, dated 26-7-1771 is a reply communicating the conditions proposed in negotiation with the Valiah Sarvadhi Kariakar and two Sarvadhi Kariakars deputed by H. H., namely that the Dutch will recall their detachment leaving only a small guard near the temple site, provided H. H. will not subject the Konkanies for any new demand and summon them to palace. I Series No: 379/14-9-1771 is a reply to H. H.'s letter. The Dutch Council informs the Raja that the Council will not order the recall of Dutch detachments unless H. H. gives a written assurance that the konkanies will not be troubled by new demands. I Series No: 379/15 dated 16-8-1771 is a letter of warning given by the Dutch to the Raja of Cochin. It states, "H H. will be held responsible for the loss of Thirumala Devasom by H. H.'s injunction not to allow gathering of crops on Devasom Kanam fields, the trustees being unable to appear before H. H in the present time". But in disregard ogf the warning, on 12th October 1791 the leading merchants of the Konkani community were massacred including Deweresa Kini. Again, Raja caused three overseers of Temple Thirumala Devasom to be put to death because they won't surrender to him any part of the trasure belonging to it, and also plundered the shops and carried away the merchant's property. The Duth on seeing the Raja's atrocities sent an army and attacked the King' Palace at Mattancherry, but were repulsed. Letter I, Series No: 379/19, of the Dutch Dated 15-101791 (State Archives, Ernakulam) explains why guns were discharged against Cochin Palace, viz. protection of the Konkani subjects who, frightened by devastation in the Devswom shops by H. H.'s men, left the country in ship for personal security, some having persuaded and given shelter in Cochin fort". The Raja plundered the temple of Thirumala belonging to the comunity. Prof: Das Gupta writes, "The loot was calculated at over Rs. 1,60,000 from the temple alone." (Malabar in Asian Trade p.121).

The story that Sakthan Thampuran, Raja of Cochin , demanded the head of Devaresa Kini to be shown as "Kani" to him is related by Saastri Poy in his account given latter. He says that on that day the Sambadi Menon (Sec. of King of Cochin) came to Pandyashala of Devaresa Kini and said that for the money due to him pepper could be given in payment. He then, apparentely to speak very privately to him, took him to a room in Pandyashla. When engaged in conversion, 2 or 3 country boats sailed up & stopped to the North of the godown. First stepped out "Balia Gammaan" or Capt. of the Infantiry, and the no. of men with swords drawn. The former entered the room where Devaresa Kini was talking with Menon. Menon pinned Devaresa down while two men murdered him. The rest of the men who were on the main hall murdered the Konkanies whom they could catch hold of. The head of Devaresa Kini was severed and that severed head of kini was exhibited to the Raja as a first thing ("kini") next morning. "Among the murdered included Krishen, Goga Kamath, Manuku Shenoi and son of Ranga Pai. Ofcourse the remaining , Saastra Pai, Morthu Patter were wounded but Baboden fortunetly escaped". (Ibid).

Events Table

2007-04-25T10:00:00.000-07:00

Before 15th Century

1500BC	The river saraswathi from where Gowda Saraswaths originated dried up. This river now extinct was between the river Yamuna and the Sutlej.
700 BC	Upanishadic Era
About 740	Swami Vivarananda founded Kaivalya Mutt Samsthan at Kaushasthali near Keloshi (Goa). The worshipped deity of this samsthan is Shri Bhavani Shankar. Swami Vivarananda was a disciple of Govinda Bhagavathpaada who also initiated Adi Shankaracharya to sanyas on the banks of river Narmada.
1238	Shri Madhvacharya (Dvaitha Siddhantha philosopher) born
13^th Century	Madhvacharya visited Gomanthak
1277	Soira Vittal Bhat (an astrologer ) founded Shri Venkatramana Temple at Mulki
1293	Madhvacharya visited Manjeshwar Temple
14^th Century	Soma Sharma went to Karkal and (with the help of Soira Prabhu) founded Shri Venkatramana Temple by installing the idol brought by him from Tirupathi
1318	Madhvacharya passed away.
15^th Century	Division of Uttaraadi Mutt and foundation of Kumbhakonam Mutt
1453	Shri Parasurama Damodara Temple founded at Bhatkal

15th Century

1510	Shri Kaathyaayini-Baaneshwar temple founded at Aversaa (Ankola, Karnataka)
25-4-1537	Shri Venkatramana Temple at Karkal renovated by installing the new idol
1538	Narasimha Temple founded at Bhatkal by Narasa Kini
1539	Shri Vijayeendra Tirtha of Kumbhakonam Mutt Samsthan observed Chaturmasya Vrita in Kochi. Vijayeendra Tirtha persuaded to initiate a saraswath boy to sanyasa. Vijayeendra agreed and the Vatu selected taken to Varanasi for education and initiated to sanyasa by name Yaadavendra (Hence became the first pontiff of Kashi Mutt) .
1542	Foundation of Kashi Mutt Samsthan. The worshipped deity of this samsthan is Shri Vedavyasa
21-1-1542	Copper plate and Raayasa-pathram issued to Yaadavendra Tirtha by Surendra Thirtha (Guru of Vijayeendra Tirtha)
3-2-1542	Raayasa-pathram issued by Surendra Thirtha (Guru of Vijayeendra Tirtha) to Gowda Saraswath Brahmin community
1545 / 46	Narayana Temple founded at Bhatkal by Kheth Pai
1550	Lakshmi Narayana Temple founded at Bhatkal by Lakkarasa Kamthi
1555	Tirumala Temple founded at Bhatkal by Santappa Nayaka
1560	Portuguese atrocities started in Goa
1564	Kaivalya Mutt Samsthan at Kushasthali destroyed by Portuguese. Decision to shift temples from Saashati province (Goa) to other place taken
1565	Virupaksha Narayana Temple founded at Bhatkal by Jeevana Nayaka.
1567	Hindu temples demolished in Goa.
23-11-1569	Shri Vijayeendra Tirtha of Kumbhakonam Mutt installed the idol of Ugra-Narasimha at Shri Venkatramana Temple, Mulki on the day of Datta-Jayanthi. Later Maadhavendra Tirtha (7^th pontiff, Kashi Mutt) in 18^th Century installed the idol of Bindu-Maadhava (the procession deity).
1583	Rama Bhat (later Keshavendra Tirtha- second pontiff Kashi Mutt Samsthan) born
1590	Raghunath Temple founded at Bhatkal by Bala Kini
30-3-1599	Sudhindra Tirtha of Kumbhakonam Mutt installed the idol in Kochi Tirumala Devasvom

16th Century

17^th Century	Venkatesh Bhat founded Shri Venkatramana Temple at Katapadi by installing the idol of Venkatramana Swamy sahitha Sridevi-Bhudevi along with idol of Shri Anantha Shayana Swamy as uthsavmoorthy given by Upendra Tirtha (third pontiff, Kashi Mutt).
1603	Shri Venkatesha Temple founded in Honnavar
12-5-1606	Jog Mallya s/o Bhatkal Anantha Mallya donated Shri Tirumala Temple in Bhatkal to Yadavendra Tirtha(first pontiff, Kashi Mutt)
22-6-1608	Yaadavendra Tirtha (first pontiff, Kashi Mutt) passed away at Bhatkal
1629	Hanumantha Bhat (later Yaadavendra Tirtha II - 4^th pontiff, Kashi Mutt) born
1646	Narayana Bhat (later Raghavendra Tirtha 5^th pontiff, Kashi Mutt and shishya of Upendra Tirtha - 3^rd pontiff, Kashi Mutt) born
27-2-1670	Keshavendra Tirtha (2^nd pontiff, Kashi Mutt) passed away at Basrur
Sep 1670	Somashekara Nayak I of Keladi (a kingdom which once stretched along the entire seacoast from Goa to Malabar was founded by Chowdappa Nayaka in 1499AD in Malnad area of Karnataka) endowed land at Bangar (this place was on the upper portion of Mangalore) and Manchi (near Puttur taluk of South Kanara district) for the performance of Brahmana Santarpane (i.e. Brahmana Bhojana feeding devotees free of cost) and Nandaa deepthi at Manjeshwar Temple
1674	Raghavendra Tirtha (5^th pontiff, Kashi Mutt) established Kashi Mutt at Manjeshwar
24-10-1674	Upendra Tirtha (3^rd pontiff, Kashi Mutt and 1^st shishya of Keshavendra Tirtha - 2^nd pontiff, Kashi Mutt) passed away in Varanasi
1685	Queen Chennamaji (w/o Somashekara Nayak I ) who ruled Keladi for 25 years from 1671 to 1696 endowed the government income procured via the collection of tax at the ports of Manjeshwar and Kumbla for the performance of Brahmana Santarpane (i.e. Brahmana Bhojana feeding devotees free of cost), Rathothsavam and Nandaa deepthi at Manjeshwar Temple. This tax income was 800 varaha gold coins (one varaha is number equivalent to 4 rupees so the tax income at the Manjeshwar and Kumbla ports was 3600 rupees at that time)
1699	Shri Venkatramana Temple at Karkal renovated for the second time

17th Century

1703	Kodagas looted Shri Maha Maya Temple (Kuladevatha of family of Impersonators of holy Oracle - MANJESHWAR DEVDARSHAN - at Manjeshwar) in Mangalore
15-9-1711	Yaadavendra Tirtha II(4^th pontiff, Kashi Mutt and 2^nd shishya of Keshavendra Tirtha - 2^nd pontiff, Kashi Mutt) passed away in Hemmady
1719	Devendra Tirtha (6^th pontiff, Kashi Mutt) and Maadhavendra Tirtha (7^th pontiff, Kashi Mutt) conducted renovation-reinstallation ceremony at Kochi Tirumala Devaswom
15-2-1725	Raghavendra Tirtha (5^th pontiff, Kashi Mutt and shishya of Upendra Tirtha - 3^rd pontiff, Kashi Mutt) passed away in Varanasi
1727	Tirumala Devasvom founded at Ernakulam
21-9-1734	A sanad (letter of authority by which one gets the right to travel with paraphernalia in a particular kingdom and due care to be taken thereof by the administrative officers of the kingdom for ensuring safety of travel and stay) issued to Devendra Tirtha (6^th pontiff, Kashi Mutt) by Somashekara Nayaka II of Keladi
1742	Maadhavendra Tirtha (7^th pontiff, Kashi Mutt) installed the idol in Shri Varadaraja Venkatramana Temple at Gurpur, South Kanara
1755	Ali Sultan of Arakkal House, Cannanore (Kerala) along with Tulagee Angria (s/o Conaajee Angria) from Maharashtra looted Manjeshwar temple in January 1755 by bringing their army in ships. However, the planned proceedings about this attack leaked in advance little early as December 1754. Hence on 14^th day of Dark Fortnight (i.e Krishna Paksha or Bahula) of Maargashira the majority of movable valuables was concealed to safer place. However, these attackers still carried away the remaining valuables.
1763	Tirumala Devasvom founded at Shertalli
10-3-1773	Yaadavendra Tirtha III (9^th pontiff, Kashi Mutt and second shishya of Maadhavendra Tirtha - 7^th pontiff, Kashi Mutt) passed away prematurely at Honnavar when his guru Maadhavendra Tirtha was still alive. Similarly, Jnanendra Tirtha (8^th pontiff, Kashi Mutt and first shishya of Maadhavendra Tirtha - 7^th pontiff, Kashi Mutt) also had passed away prematurely at Naasik somewhere between 1746 and 1773. These incidents finally resulted initiation of third shishya, Upendra Tirtha II (10^th pontiff, KashiMutt)
1-8-1775	Maadhavendra Tirtha (7^th pontiff, Kashi Mutt) entered Jeevantha Samadhi at Walkeshwar, Mumbai
4-1-1778	Sureendra Tirtha (12^th pontiff, Kashi Mutt and first shishya of Rajendra Tirtha - 11^th pontiff, Kashi Mutt) born. The details of Vishnu Tirtha (13^th pontiff, Kashi Mutt and second shishya of Rajendra Tirtha - 11^th pontiff, Kashi Mutt) are not much available except that he attained Jala Samadhi at Banaras
21-3-1782	Vibhudendra Tirtha (14^th pontiff, Kashi Mutt) born
2-12-1791	Upendra Tirtha II (10^th pontiff, Kashi Mutt) passed away in Varanasi
1794	Narasimha Domba Hegde (Raja of Vittal, South Kanara who led the plundering of Manjeshwar Temple in 1799) fled to Tellicherri (Kerala) and joined hands with British to overcome his enemy Tippu Sultan
29-10-1798	Sumatheendra Tirtha (14^th pontiff, Kashi Mutt) born
1799	As soon as the 4^th Mysore war broke, which resulted in the demise of Tippu Sultan around noon of 4^th May 1799, Narasimha Domba Hegde, Raja of Vittal (South Kanara) who was till then Tellicherry with British returned to his place and soon looted Manjeshwar Temple over the issue of swaasthi (emoluments) not being paid due to successive transfer of ownership of land at Kendragaya from him to Manjeshwar temple. This attack caused devastating losses including breaking up of Brahma-Ratha.
30-5-1799	Rajendra Tirtha (11^th pontiff, Kashi Mutt) passed away at Thuravoor, Kerala. Samadhi at Shri Narasimha Temple, Thuravoor

18th Century

1801	Francis Buchanan (15.2.1762 15.6.1829), later known as Francis Hamilton, employed by Richard Colley Wellesley (1760-1842), then governor-general of India from 1797-1805 appointed by East India Company, for the purpose of examining the state of the country, visited Manjeshwar. While speaking of the Konkanies of Manjeshwar (by characterising them as those migrated from Goa due to atrocities by Portuguese), he claimed that They are in flourishing circumstances, and I saw some of their marriage processions passing to-day, attended by a number of exceedingly well-dressed people and very handsome girls. This is revealed in his book - A Journey from Madras Through the Countries of Mysore, Canara, and Malabar, for the Express Purpose of Investigating the State of Agriculture, Arts and Commerce, the Religion, Manners, and Customs : The History, Natural, Civil and Antiquities - first published in 1807 by T. Cadell and W. Davies, London.
1804	Vibhudendra Tirtha (14^th pontiff, Kashi Mutt) re-installed the idol of Shri Bhadra Narasimha at Manjeshwar temple. This was re-installation with considerable effort but not installation, as the idol was taken out to safer places (first to Kundadka, near Paane Mangalore, Bantwal Taluk and then to Karkal) in anticipation of the attacks by Narasimha Domba Hegde in 1799.
1804	The idol of Veera Venkatesha installed on Rakthaakshi Samvatsara Jyeshta Shuddha Trayodashi in Mangalore Temple by Vibhudendra Tirtha (14^th pontiff, Kashi Mutt). Click here for more details.
15-3-1855	Sumatheendra Tirtha (15^th pontiff, Kashi Mutt) initiated to Sanyasa
20-5-1855	Sureendra Tirtha (12^th pontiff, Kashi Mutt) installed the idol in Shri Venkatramana Temple at Kundapur
6-6-1831	Sureendra Tirtha (12^th pontiff, Kashi Mutt) passed away at Alleppey, Kerala at the age of 53.
1833	One Abbayya (perhaps Bhat and hailed from Kundapur) initiated to sanyasa at Manjeshwar and renamed as Vasudendra Tirtha (16^th pontiff of Kashi Mutt). This is the first of the two sanyasa deeksha ceremonies of Kashi Mutt consecrated at Manjeshwar. In or about 1833 when Vibhudendra Tirtha (14^th pontiff, Kashi Mutt) was camping at Manjeshwar the swamiji felt that his end was nearing and immediately sent for his shishya Sumatheendra Tirtha (15^th pontiff, Kashi Mutt) who was then at Kochi. However Sumatheendra Tirtha could not come to Manjeshwar which finally resulted initiation of Vasudendra Tirtha as the second shishya of Vibhudendra Tirtha (14^th pontiff, Kashi Mutt) who eventually succeeded as the 16^th pontiff of Kashi Mutt .
27-3-1834	Vibhudendra Tirtha (14^th pontiff, Kashi Mutt) passed away at Manjeshwar at the age of 52.
Nov/Dec 1834	First Brahma - Rathothsavam (Car-festival) of the newly built Ratha at Manjeshwar. The construction of this Ratha (which is the one existing today and hence the wood used is indeed over 200 years old) though started around 1800 took about 34 years to complete. Mention must be made to definitely to note with dejection that the life span of Vibhudendra Tirtha (14^th pontiff, Kashi Mutt - who along with the community, led the renovation work of Manjeshwar temple soon after it was plundered by Narasimha Domba Hegde, Raja of Vittal, South Kanara in 1799) could not make it up to officiate this particular Shashti Ceremony of this newly built Brahma Rath. It was carried out by the hands of Sumatheendra Tirtha (15^th pontiff, Kashi Mutt) on Margashira Shuddha Shashti.
1837	Bhuvanendra Tirtha (17^th pontiff, Kashi Mutt) born in Kamath family
1849	Bhuvanendra Tirtha (17^th pontiff, Kashi Mutt) initiated to Sanyasa
31-3-1851	Sumatheendra Tirtha (15^th pontiff, Kashi Mutt and first shishya of Vibhudendra Tirtha-14^th pontiff, Kashi Mutt) passed away at Alleppey, Kerala. His shishya, Bhuvanendra Tirtha (17^th pontiff, Kashi Mutt) was still then a minor of age 14 who then recognized Vasudendra Tirtha (16^th pontiff, Kashi Mutt and second shishya of Vibhudendra Tirtha-14^th pontiff, Kashi Mutt) as his guru .
16-5-1859	Vasudendendra Tirtha (16^th pontiff, Kashi Mutt) passed away at Manjeshwar. Though Vasudendendra Tirtha didnt initiate anyone to sanyasa, it was always his desire to have his Vrindavan (samadhi) by the side of his Gurus Vrindavan. This very same desire was expressed by him before MANJESHWAR DEVDARSHAN and hence was assured of. Thus he passed away at Manjeshwar on Vaishaakha Shuddha Poornima day (the last day uthsav of MANJESHWAR DEVDARSHAN before it was to get reinvoked during succeeding Shashti Ceremony)
18-5-1864	Bhuvanendra Tirtha (17^th pontiff, Kashi Mutt) installed the idol in Hosdurg temple
1866	Giri Mallya (later, Varadendra Tirtha - 18^th pontiff, Kashi Mutt) born
15-7-1874	Bhuvanendra Tirtha (17^th pontiff, Kashi Mutt) reinstalled the idol in Kundapura Temple
10-1-1876	Bhuvanendra Tirtha (17^th pontiff, Kashi Mutt) performed Sahasra Kumbhabhishekam at Manjeshwar temple
6-6-1876	Giri Mallya initiated to sanyasa and renamed as Varadendra Tirtha - 18^th pontiff , Kashi Mutt) at Manjeshwar. This is the last of the two sanyasa deeksha ceremonies of Kashi Mutt consecrated at Manjeshwar
1877	Reinstallation at Shri Venkatrmana Temple, Uppinangady by Purna Prajna Tirtha of Gokarna Mutt.
26-11-1886	Bhuvanendra Tirtha (17^th pontiff, Kashi Mutt) passed away at Basrur
1888	Varadendra Tirtha (18^th pontiff , Kashi Mutt) installed the idol of Padmavathi at Karkal
26-4-1896	Varadendra Tirtha (18^th pontiff , Kashi Mutt) installed the idol Shri Lakshmi Venkatesha at Tenkapet, Udupi temple. However, the foundation stone was laid by his guru Bhuvanendra Tirtha (17^th pontiff , Kashi Mutt)
7-2-1897	Varadendra Tirtha (18^th pontiff , Kashi Mutt) peformed the re-installation ceremony
26-3-1897	Srinivasa Prabhu (later Sukratheendra Tirtha- 19^th pontiff , Kashi Mutt) born
27-3-1899	Varadendra Tirtha (18^th pontiff , Kashi Mutt) installed the idol of Shri Venkatramana Temple at Puttur, South Kanara
1912	Srinivasa Prabhu initiated to sanyasa on Shravana Shuddha Chaturthi, Paridhaavi Samvathsara at Trichi (Tiruchirapalli, Tamilnad) on the banks sacred river Kaveri and renamed as Sukratheendra Tirtha (19^th pontiff , Kashi Mutt)
24-6-1914	Varadendra Tirtha (18^th pontiff , Kashi Mutt) passed away at Walkeshwar, Mumbai
5-5-1919	Sukratheendra Tirtha (19^th pontiff , Kashi Mutt) re-installed the idol in Shri Venkatramana Temple at Katapadi
10-5-1919	Sukratheendra Tirtha (19^th pontiff , Kashi Mutt) re-installed the idol Hosdurg temple.
28-11-1919	MANJESHWAR DEVDARSHAN orders in presence of Sukratheendra Tirtha (19^th pontiff , Kashi Mutt) for the performance of Sahasra Kumbhabhishekam
Feb 1920	Sukratheendra Tirtha (19^th pontiff, Kashi Mutt) performed Sahasra Kumbhaabhishekam at Manjeshwar temple
31-3-1926	Sadashiva Shenoy (later Sudhindra Tirtha - 20^th pontiff , Kashi Mutt) born at Ernakulam, Kerala
10-6-1935	Sukratheendra Tirtha installed the idols in Shri Ramanjaneya Temple at Vile Parle, Mumbai
1936	MANJESHWAR DEVDARSHAN stops on Chaithra Shuddha Poornima day not to get re-invoked till today
14-2-1940	Sukratheendra Tirtha installed the idols in Shri Pattaabhi Ramachandra Temple in Koteshwar
25-2-1942	Sukratheendra Tirtha (19^th pontiff, Kashi Mutt) installed the idols of Shri Vitobha, Rukmini and Satyabhama at Sri Vitobha Temple, Mundkur founded by GSB community led by Lakshman Kamath.
24-5-1944	Sadashiva Shenoy initiated to sanyasa and renamed as Sudheendra Tirtha (20^th pontiff , Kashi Mutt) at Mulki, South Kanara.
10-7-1949	Sukratheendra Tirtha passed away at Kochi, Kerala.
1-2-1952	Sudheendra Tirtha (20^th pontiff , Kashi Mutt) re-installed the idols in Gurupura temple
20-5-1959	Sudheendra Tirtha (20^th pontiff , Kashi Mutt) re-installed the idols in Kundapura temple
1977	Sudheendra Tirtha (20^th pontiff, Kashi Mutt) performed Sahasra Kumbhabhishekam at Manjeshwar temple

About the Gotras

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The origin

The gotra system is part of a system of classification or identification of various Brahmin families in ancient times. The gotra classification took form probably sometime during the Yajur Veda period, after the Rig Veda period. It is believed that the gotras (now account to a total of 49) started to consolidate some around 10-8 Century B.C. The present day gotra classification is created from a core of 8 rishis (The Saptha rishis + Agastya). The Seven rishis are Gautama, Bhardwaja, Vishwamitra, Jamadagni, Vasistha, Kashyapa and Atri. Seven Rishis (Saptarshi) are recognized as the mind born sons of the creator Brahma. They desired offspring and received it. All present day Brahmin communities are said to be descendants of these 8 Rishis.

Over the years the number of gotras incresed due to:

Descendents of these Rishis also started new family lineage or new gotras (Kaundinya was a descendent of Vasihta, Vishwamitra was a descendent of Kaushika and Vatsa was a descendent of Jamadagni)
By inter marriage with other Brahmins
Inspired by a saint whose name they bear as their own Gotra.
New groups like Kshatriyas (who were also makers of hymns) were taken into fold by some Rishis

The lines of descent from the major rishis are originally divided into Ganas [sub divisions] and each Gana is further divided into families. However, subsequently the term gotra is frequently applied to the ganas and to the families within the ganas interchangeably.

These Rishis belonged to different sects like Shakti, Shavites and Vishnavites and had different deities for worship. Such deities came to be known as the Kuladevatas.

2007-04-23T11:18:00.000-07:00

Gotras of Gowda Saraswat Brahmins

The gotras of GSBs is believed to be originated from the ten Rishis

Bharadwaj, Kausika, Vatsa, Kaundinya, Kashyapa, Atri, Vashista, Jamadagni, Gautam and Vishwamitra (Kamshi)

Importance of Gotras

The gotra system was instituted for the purposes of identifying one's ancestors and pay respects during various invocations and other rituals to honor their fathers, fore-fathers and so on, up to their respective Rishis. This was later extended to other aspects of the Brahmin life, such as Marriage and temple worship. In present days, marriage will not be allowed within the same gotra in order to avoid impure matrimony. This thinking is in tune with the modern day genetic paradigms of hybrid vigor.

Gotras, Surnames and Kuladevatas

The gotra is also interlinked with the Surnames and the Kuladevatas. An illustrative list is given below:

MAHALASA NARAYANI	Bharadwaja Gothram - Pai
	Athri Gothram - Pai
	Kaushika Gothram - Pai
	Gargya Gothram - Shenoy
	Gargya Gothram - Kamath
	Gargya Gothram - Bhat
	Kaushika Gothram - Bhaktha
	Athri Gothram - Bhat
RAMANATH SHANTHERI KAMAKSHI	Vatsa Gothram - Shenoy
	Vatsa Gothram - Baliga
	Koundinya Gothram - Shenoy
	Koundinya Gothram -Nayak
	Koundinya Gothram - Pai
	Koundinya Gothram - Bhat
	Vatsa Gothram - Bhat
	Koundinya Gothram - Kini
DAMODAR MAHALAKSMI DAMODAR ARYADURGA	Kaushika Gothram - Prabhu
	Kaushika Gothram - Kamath
	Kashyap Gothram - Hegde
	Kashyap Gothram - Baliga
NAGESH MAHALAKSHMI	Bharadwaja Gothram - Prabhu
	Vatsa Gothram - Mallya
	Koushika Gothram - Nayak
KARTHYAYANI BANESHWAR	Koushika Gothram - Shenoy
DEVAKI KRISHNA RAVALNATH	Athri Gothram - Prabhu
DEVAKI KRISHNA RAVALNATH	Kashyapa Gothram - Prabhu
NARASIMHA SHANTHADURGA VIJAYA DURGA	Shankha Pingala Kounsa Gothram - Nayak
	Shankha Pingala Kounsa Gothram - Padiyar
	Shankha Pingala Kounsa Gothram - Bhandarakar
MAHAMAYA	Kondinaya Gothram - Kamath

In Commerce :

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The role of the Saraswats in the commercial fields of Kerala deserves mention. It is to be noted that most of the business of Cochin and Travancore (Purakad) passed through their hands.

The trade between Konkanis and European powers figured prominently in the papers of Malabar Council. Prof. A. Das Gupta in his Malabar in Asian Trade (p. 116) writes: "Baba Prabhu, the foremost among the merchants, had almost monopolized the company’s commodities. The commanders of Malabar had treated him gently, even when his payments were not prompt. He was believed to have enough political influence to bring about a war between the Zamorin and the Dutch." Along with the Konkanies, the Jews, long settled in Malabar, had quitely followed their trade. The Rahabi family established close business links with the dominating family of Prabhus. It was on 1695 that David Rahabi, father of Ezechiel Rahabi, first appeared before the Malabarcouncil as the attorney of the great Baba Prabhu to settle Baba's outstandings accounts with the Dutch. A letter written to Baba by the Malabar council on 22^nd March 1694 begins "your Honour's esteemed letter...". This is quite typical of the letters written to Baba Prabhu, Ezechiel's father David Rahabi who had been good friend of the Prabhus had left young Ezechiel in charge of the Prabhus who had initiated the young Jew to the "mysteries of business". It was found that there had been partnership between Calaga Prabhu and Ezechiel Rahabi which started in 1752 and for several years they appeared to have undertaken several ventre together. But unfortunately gor Prabhu he was indebted to Ezechiel and at the close of the year 1670, Ezechiel took over a warehouse of Prabhu as part payment of the debt without consulting Prabhu about it. . But the governer requested Rahabi to return the keys of the warehouse to Calaba Prabhu. On his refusal, the Governer became furious and turning to Ezechiel said "you give these keys to Prabhu this days as i ordered or I shall know what to do with you" (lbid, p. 117). The keys were returned and the Rahabis kept away from the disputed warehouse till the Governer had gone and Ezechiel was dead. but on 11^th November, 1711 a sensational law suit began between the three sons ans heirs of Ezechiel Rahabi and Calaga Prabhu. Mention was there in the law suite of the names of the Konkanis who were described as prominent merchants of Cochin and who were examined as witnesses on the Rahabi's side and they are, Baba Saraf, Aloe Saraf, Bikoe Kienie and Rama Sinaiji. Calaga then entered into correspondence with the generals of Hyder Alo with the aim of humiiating the King of Cochin and the Jewish people of the town. The correspondence was detected in the nick of time. "Had I been late by couple of hours", wrote Adriaan Moens to Batavi, "he would have fled and joined Hyder's general". In the end, says Prof. A. Das Gupta, "Calaga Prabhu along with his elder son chirda Prabhu was exiled to Cape the Good Hope. Thus the last known man of this great Konkani family, whom Moens had occasion to call a "restless spirit" was one of the first Indians to settle in South Africa." (lbid, p.119).

After transportation for life, of Kaliga Prabhu by the Dutch East India Company to Cape of Good Hope in South Africa the company sold at public auction all properties of Kaliga Prabhu including the temple. The temple and the property of Kalaga were purchased by one Nagaresa and he entrusted the same to the Raja of Cochin. The Raja of Cochin by name Rama Varma (1775 - 1790 A.D.). through a Thitooram (Royal white) handed over the management of the temple of Vasukeswara to Cochin Thirumala Devaswom in the Year 1780 A.D. The thitooram inscribed in an Ola in the Malayalam era 955 M.E. preserved at Ernakulam Regional Office of the State Archives, Kerala, mentions about an annual grant made available for meeting the Pooja expenses of the Royal treasury. It was the temple that was constructed by Kalaga Prabhu with granite stones with the assistance of the Dutch. the temple is dedicated to Lord shive and worshipped under the name Vasukeswara which was renamed as Keraleswara. It is believed that the Linga of Shiva was brought by Kalaga form the shores of Rameswaram.

In the preface to the translation of Grandhavari of cochin published in 1916 mention is made of the konkanies. It says, "The Konkanies were for one thing rich, and possessed so remarkable an aptitude for mercantile business that they almost enjoyed the monopoly of all retail trade in Cochin. They also rendered substantial services of te Dutch in furthering their commercial activiies and were often employed as their chief agents or brokers. For this reason their interest were jealously watched and safeguarded by the Dutched who exercised civil and criminal jurisdiction over te Konkani "Subjects". The Batavian diary of 1678 contains excerpts from the long correspondence between two groups of Saraswat merchants; of the wo groups of merchants one was headed by Poilcar Naik and Baba Pattar , and the other group by Parimbala Naik and Waman Naik. These two groups between them monopolised the entire trade on the west coast. The 'Memorie underlines the ascendancy of the konkanies in the trade of Malabar. (Memorie of the "Secunde" Vosburge, dated 11th April 1680, of Hauge Record 719). Then names of the various merchants he mentioned are almost Konkanies. In supply of Pepper to the Dutch merchants htere was a mention of a Konkani merchant Derwa NAik of Cochin besides Ezecheil Rahabi. Also in an Ola given by Raja of Cochinto the Dutch Commander on May 18, 1666 there was reference to one Wittula Naik who was controlling the daily expenses of the Raja on Behalf of the Dutch. The vessels from Kutch & Porbandar employed the Konkani merchant Naga Prabhu as their agent at Cochin.

Ofcourse, the Konkani merchants monopolised trade in cloth too, ans they had consistently cornored all available "fanams" - the coins. "Anyone who wished to buy from the company lost 6.30 percent in dealing with the Konkani Shroff.". At the progress of the season only grey-haired Konkanies or "Banias" were considered as persons "who could tell which way the demand was likely to jump". The dyeing industry in Kerala was also bought by Baba Prabhu. The dyers were first brought from Tuticorin. In 1766, govind Pai appeared as the envoy of Hyder Ali to search for the reasures of the fugitive Zamorin in the Kingdom of Cochin. Naranna Prabhu served as an envoy from the Malabar Council to Calicut in 1784 and it was he who saw on his way the pepper vines and the snadal trees being cut down by Tippu sultan as the latter thought it was these commodities that made the Europeans to wage war on him.

Further, it was the Thirumala Devasom that helped the Raja of cochin by granting him a loan for the restoration of the Cochin territory devasted by Tipu sultan in the year 1790 A.D. The abstract of the letter, I series No. 377/1 State Archives, Ernakulam, reads "His Highness (Raja of Cochin) requests Dutch Governor's sancation for the issue of the loan from Thirumala Devasom for the restoration of the country devastated by Tippu".

Aryan -pre-saraswat connection

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The Gowda Saraswat Brahmins claim their origin to the Brahmins who lived on the banks of the now extinct river Saraswati of Punjab. They derived their name from either the river Saraswati or from their spiritual leader, the Great Sage Saraswat Muni who lived on the banks of Saraswati. The exact origin of the Saraswat Brahmins is difficult to ascertain. According to Puranas, they are Aryan migrants from Central Asia who came to the Indian sub-continent through the Hindu-Kush mountains and the Khyber pass to south in about 2000-1500 B.C. The Aryans were pastoral nomads, herding cattle.

Who were the Aryans and where did they come from?
The word Aryan comes from the Sanskrit arya meaning noble. Historians believe the original home of the Aryans was in the lands south of the Ural Mountains in what is now Kirghizstan. When life became tough, because food was scarce, drop in temperature and the pressure applied by the yellow-skinned tribes in the north, the Aryans began to move away in different directions. Some went to Greece, some to Iran, and some to Afghanistan. From the eastern front some groups moved to India. The whole process of migration took place between 2000 to 1500 BC. They entered India from the north west and initially settled in the land between the tributaries of the River Indus. There were more than 1200 such settlements of migrants.

Many of them settled along the banks of Saraswati river. They settled to an agrarian life, supplemented by cattle grazing. These settlers along the banks of Saraswati river came to be known as Saraswats.

As time went on, the aryan settlers went south and east along the river valleys and occupied the land between the Himalayas in the north and the Vindhyas in the south. This land, the land of the Aryans, came to be called Aryabarta.

The Aryan settlements in Indus region

The coming of Aryans marks the beginning of a historic period in India. Between the decline of Harappan civilization 1500 BC and 500 BC is a "dark" period about which little is known.

Gsb &sb Surnames

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The Gowda saraswat Brahmins wherever they migrated mingled with the local people, but kept their identity by their Surnames even today. The most popular surname among GSBs is Shenoy which is derived from the word Shenvis which was used to refer to the Saraswats originally settled in Goa in 96 settlements.

The surnames of GSBs are mainly two types.
The village names of Gomantak where they settled originally or migrated: This practice is prevalent among Rajapur saraswats. They have surnames like Bandivadekar, Madkaikar, Borkar, Sakhalkar, Haldwanekar, Chimbalkar, Navelkar, Marathe, Lotlikar, Salwankar, Karlekar, Burake, Bhagav, Tendulkar, Patkar, Juvale, Dhonde, Shinkar, Shendre, Bokade, Takur, Gawade, Potkar, Askekar, Shenai, Gavalkar, Shembekar, Lanjolkar etc. which are the original local village names of Gomantak. The word 'Kar" means "From" or citizen of. Thus kakodkar means person from village kakod. This enabled one to identify the profession and the domicile.
Surnames indicating the profession adopted by the Saraswats like Pai, Purohit, Nayak etc.
Shenoy :Originaly for the Shenvis in Goa. Since most of them took up Administrative jobs they were called Shanbhags (clerks) which later became Shenoy.
Pai :Pai in Konkani language means foot or leg. The common person who had not amassed wealth or power was known as Pai.Their job was menial in maintaining ledgers and doing odd jobs. The Pai who was mainly ledger keepers.
Kamathi :Those in agriculture were called Kamathi. Mathi means soil and Kama is work, that is working in soil ( Kama + Mathi). Later this became Kamath.
Kini : Those who cultivated herbs were Kinvis, presently called Kini or Keni.
Vaidya :Thos who prepared the concoction was prepared and dispensed it.
Hegde :The animals required for tilling, transportation and other works were under Haya- Gade (actually Horse tenderer), modernized to Hegde.
Nayak, Rao: Those worked as Army commandants were called Nayaks. Some Nayaks who were honoured by the King with titles like Ravubahadur adopted Rao as their Surname.
Baliga:The daily requirements of every family for survival, presentations, etc were the responsibility of the Ballo. There is another theory that the foot soldier with a spear was called Ballo. The soldier Ballo (Baliga) was under the command of Nayak.
Prabhu :Feudal lords called themselves Prabhu. He lived in a palatial home called mahal, and the caretaker was known as Mahalyar, presently modernized to Mallya.
Bhat :The poojas in the big temple and its rituals were under Acharya, and in small temples conducted by Bhat. Every family had exclusive priest to perform the rites, and he was the family Purohit and was called Vadhyar.
Mahajan :The temples were administered by Mahajans.
Bhakta:Doing odd jobs in temples and poojas.
Bhandarkar :Stores and godown keepers were called Bhandari or Bhandarkar.
Nadkarni, Kulkarni: A person maintaining statistics was called Karni. Land was called Nadu, and the person maintaining land records was known as Nadkarni, and Kulkarni maintained census, and social register.

Today the name has no links with the profession. However the GSBs still retain their Surnames down the generations.

The saraswathi river

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Gowda Saraswath Brahmin(GSB) community in the history of Kerala-II

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"When the Konkanis first came to Cochin territory, they requested that they should be protected by the kings of Cochin just as they were by the kings of Kadamalayam. In compliance with this request, they were then exempted from the succession fee. But then it was the custom that when a Konkani died without heirs, his property was taken charge of jointly by the Raja’s officers and the representatives of the Konkanis and divided into equal parts one of which went into the royal treasury and the other to the temple of Tirumaldeva. This custom shall be observed in future also." (Travancore Archaeological Series, No. IV & V (1910 ed.) T.D.Gopinath Rao).

Konkani History

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In the North Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, there is a small lake town by the name of Renukaji. Though most may not realize it, this town has a lot to do with the history of the Konkani people, or at least according to the history told by the ancient Hindu scriptures. Today, however, the Konkanis are a relatively small group of people and as most other group of people in India, they are set apart from the other Indians simply by their language and linguistic background. Presently, the highest densities of the Konkanis inhabit the western coast of India on the Arabian Sea. This coast has come to be known as the Konkan coast. Relatively large populations of Konkanis live in Goa, Mumbai, Mangalore and Karwar in Karnataka, and Khazikode [Calicut] and Kasargod in Kerala. However, there are smaller populations in other places throughout India such as Hyderabad, Chennai [Madras], Delhi, etc. The word Konkan is derived from two distinct Sanskrit words kona meaning "corner" and ankana meaning "demarcated area."

According to legend, it was Sage Parusharam who brought the people to the coast of India from the North. It has been explained clearly that the kshatriyas (warrior-classmen) were abusing and mistreating the brahmans (priestly-classmen) to a large extent in Northern India. The story goes as such. Once upon a time there was a sage by the name of Jamadagni and he had a wife Renuka. They lived by a lake in what is presently the state of Himachal Pradesh. The king of the area, Karthaveerya, who was used to abuse and mistreat the brahmans had an eye for Renuka and he wanted to have her as his own. Sage Jamadagni had a son by the name of Parusharam, who the king knew to be quite strong, so he didn’t know how to pursue about his goal. It is said that once when Parusharam had gone to gather firewood from the forest, the king went to the sage’s residence and killed Jamadagni and tried to abduct Renuka. Renuka being a pious woman, would rather die than fall into the hands of the evil king and so let her self be consumed by the waters of the lake. It is said that the Gods took pity on Renuka and brought her back to life, thereafter. The village town by Lake Renukaji is so-called after Lady Renuka. When her son, Parusharam returned from the forest, his mother told him about the king’s brutality. So angered was Parusharam by the king’s selfish actions, he vowed to rid the world of kshatriyas. He single-handedly battled Kathaveerya and slew him. He destroyed the kingdom and also many kshyatriyas. By doing thus, he is said to have saved the Brahman race and is hailed as the sixth avatar of Lord Vishnu. Knowing of this oppression, Parusharam willed to create a new safe land for the brahmans to reside in, so having gone to the western ghats, he is said to have thrown his ax into the Arabian Sea from the Shayadri mountain. He proclaimed to the sea, "Recede as far back as my ax will land." The sea receded to form a new strip of land, the western coast of India, creating seven new lands known as Karnata, Kerala, Tulanga, Saurashtra, Konkana, Karaharta and Barbaara. In this newly created lands, also referred to as Parusharam’s Srashti (The Creation of Parusharam), he brought the brahmans. This was their own corner (kona), a demarcated or safe area (ankana), known as Kona-Ankana or Konkana.

So what does this have to do with Konkani? Certainly, the word Konkan finds its origin from this myth of Parusharam, but is this the end? No. The history of the Konkanis goes far back before the time of Parusharam and is linked to this story. It is well known that Konkani brahmans are either Chitrapur Saraswath or Goud Saraswath Brahmans and this is a key to their history. Long ago, according to the Rig Veda, there was a majestic river that flowed in Northern India. This river was called Saraswathi after the Goddess Saraswathi. The Rig Veda describes this river as the holiest, the purest and the grandest of rivers, while it does not describe the river Ganga the same way. The Saraswathi flowed from the Himalayas into the kingdom of Kashmir, in the present state of Jammu and Kashmir, into Punjab and Haryana and then into Sindh, now Pakistan to meet the Sindhu [Indus] into Arabian Sea. The river has long since dried out because this river flowed from the receding glaciers of the great ice age 10,000 years ago. Satellite photography has shown the existence of this great river and the valley in which it flowed. It so happened that the Saraswath Brahmans lived in the land between the rivers Saraswathi and Dristhadvathi, perhaps the seat of Hinduism itself, in a nation they called Saraswath Desh. In this nation, there was a town called Kashmirapur, which the area has now come to be known by. Saraswath Desh was a very fertile land watered by the Saraswathi. This was during the vedic age of Hinduism and Sanskrit and vernaculars of Sanskrit were widely spoken. The Saraswath Brahmans are said to be well versed in Sanskrit and stressed the importance of its correct pronunciation. The daily language was, of course, a vernacular of Sanskrit and came to be known in the local area as Brahmani, while the script of the vernacular was called Brahmi because it differed from the Nagari script that vedic Sanskrit used.

Some calamity, it is believed, struck Saraswath Desh. Most historians suspect that after a few thousand years of flowing, the glacier began empty of its potential and the Saraswathi began to dry out. The legend says that there was a wide spread drought and people died I masses. The Saraswathakhyana chapter of the Shalya Parva of the Mahabharat, describes this famine to have lasted twelve years. Their guru, Saraswath Muni is said to have been the sole survivor, who lived on a diet of fish only. Others are in the opinion that there were invaders from the central Asia who began to destroy the inhabitants. Whatever it may be, this period of history saw many civilizations abandoning their settlements, the Indus Valley was also abandoned around the same time, for example. The rest of the inhabitants either escaped their much beloved nation or died in doing so. In any case, it is believed that the Saraswath Brahmans migrated southward. It is somewhat unclear as to where they settled once they migrated southward. Scholars argue as to whether they remained close by, or whether they moved along the course of other rivers. Some claim that the Brahmans went along the course of the Ganga and Jamuna into a nation close to the present city of Prayag [Allahabad] which was called Trihotrapur, believed to now be the area of Trihut in northern part of the state of Bihar. Others believe that the Saraswaths remained closer to their original motherland, but migrated directly southward close to the city of Jammu and Kangra district of northern Punjab, along the tributaries of the Sindhu [Indus]. apparently, they spent the next few centuries here, may it be Trihotrapur or near Jammu. Again this was not the end of their journey. Going back to legend, they are said to be brought by Sage Parusharam southward, but for all practical purposes we will also consider the theory that they migrated southward by themselves. As we have already established, Sage Parusharam, who felt the brahmans were oppressed in the area now near the state of Himachal Pradesh, he brought to the western coast of India. It is also said that he brought many families of the brahmans from the kingdom of Trihotrapur, for the funeral rites of his father Jamadagni. Another possibility is that the brahmans migrated southward because of oppression, possibly, and there is evidence to support this also. If we are to take this second possibility into mind, we must first keep in mind that the Saraswath Brahmans were living in northern Punjab and Jammu. They must have then migrated southward over a course of a couple of centuries toward the western coast. Today there are small Saraswath Brahman communities in Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujurat, Madhya Pradesh, and of course on the western coast where they eventually arrived. Since Saraswath communities are also found in Uttar Pradesh, we cannot purely go by this possibility. For our purposes, we can go with the legend that the Saraswaths came with Parusharam southward and settled on the way, but most of them came to the coast and also that there were Saraswaths in Trihotrapur whom Parusharam also brought onto the coast. Therefore, we have to take the possibility that the Saraswaths came from several nations of northern India including Trihotrapur, Kanyakubja (near Gujurat and Rajasthan) and Punjab area.

The Saraswaths moved into the area later known as Sourashtra, south of Gujarat into what is now the coast line of the state of Maharashtra. Most probably settled by the southern coast of Maharashtra, near the city of Gomantak, now Goa. If one is to go by the scriptures, this time period is probably in the B.C. range, probably even before the time of Buddha, as Parusharam is said to be the sixth avatar of Lord Vishnu and Buddha the ninth. In fact, the Ramayan, based during the lifetime of Lord Ram, and the Mahabharat epic, known to be during the lifetime of Lord Krishna, describes to city of Gomantak and its inhabitants. The account of the Saraswath Brahmans' migration is describe in the vedas and the puranas, known to be clearly written before the Ramayan or the Mahabharat. In the Mahabharat, it is said that King Yudhisthira, during the Pandavas' vanavaas (exile in the forest), went to visit the beautiful city of Gomantak. He is told by some that the brahmans who reside there are very learned in the vedas and quite pious indeed. Although there is no proof that these are actually the Saraswath Brahmans who were discussed in the Vana Parva of the Mahabharat, it is quite likely that these were the former because the Saraswath Brahmans were well-known for their strong upholding of religious beliefs and their well-versedness in the vedas.

These Saraswath Brahmans lived on the western coast of India in peace for a few centuries and they were quite content. In this millennium, especially, they found their golden age. During the middle part of this millennium, the Saraswath Brahmans served as priests, advisors and ministers of the Hindu kings who ruled central India, especially the Maratha kings. By this time, the language of India was changed and Prakrit had already taken over Sanskrit in daily language. The original language of the Saraswath Brahmans, Brahmani, had long since merged with the softer Prakrit dialects, but at times used strong Sanskrit words, even in daily language. In northern and central India, the Apabrahmsas Pali were all mixing together to form Braj Bhasha, which later began to develop into Hindi, but alongside, there were other Prakrits, used today, that were also forming. In the area that these brahmans lived, the local Prakrit that began to develop was later known as Marathi. The kings spoke this local dialect and since they often hired priests, advisors and ministers of Saraswath descent, they often spoke their language too. The language of the Saraswaths came to be known as Konkani since it was local to the area of Konkan. The rajas [kings] used it extensively to develop their own language, Marathi. Even today, many are confused and think that either Konkani borrowed heavily from Marathi or the languages were sisters in development. However, the classical Sanskritized and other words not found in common Hindi [Hindustani] are, in fact, originally brought into Marathi by Konkani. The kings of the Maratha Kingdom tied Konkani words into Marathi, but never spoke Konkani in daily life. Therefore, their language developed it own tone, literature and poetry. At this time, in all of northern and central India, the Devanagri script was widely used and emphasized over the old vedic Nagari. Marathi and Konkani both used this script. The Brahmi script has long been outdated by this time. Both languages developed a lot of Hindu literature and poetry, often borrowing from each other and translating amongst each other.

The capital of the Konkan, Gomantak, was one of the very well sought cities throughout history. The Greeks, Ptolemy in particular, has described a city on the west coast of India, he calls Kouba. The rajas of the Dakhin, especially those of the Vijaynagar empire have stone tablets describing this city of wonders, which they called Govepuri. So by the thirteenth century, the city of Gomantak, had already acquired the name, Gova. By the 1350's, the Muslim Afghani invaders of India had reached central and southern India. In, 1351 AD Hasan Gangu Jaffar Khan of Bahmani kingdom invaded Goa and annexed it. His army destroyed the whole city and burned temples, houses and devastated the city. He was followed by his son, the ever infamous, Mohammed of Ghazni, in 1357 AD. Mohammad of Ghazni had been praised by the Islamic poets who have described his destruction of the famous Somnath temple in Gujurat as summoned by Allah, himself. The story of the Somnath temple goes as follows. The Somnath temple was a very big and rich temple dedicated to Lord Somnath [Shiva]. It is believed that it is one of the seven holy places of Lord Shiva around the country. The temple owned a lot of gold and silver. When Mohammed of Ghazni came to the area, the priests thought that if they lay around the temple, Mohammed would not cross them, as it was a Hindu custom, never to walk over a laying person. So the priests lay around the temple and around the idol of Lord Somnath, but to no avail. They were all slaughtered, the temple burned, and all the gold and silver taken. Then, he moved southward to Goa. Goa was also to suffer a similar fate as Somnath did. After Mohammad of Ghazni's destruction of Goa and annexation of the Vijaynagar empire, the Islamic rule in the area overtook both the Maratha and the Vijaynagar rajas. Goa was ruled directly by the Sultans of Bijapur in northern Karnataka. Though the literature of the Marathi lived on within the centers of Sourashtra, the literature and poetry of Konkani was all but destroyed and burned during the period of Islamic rule in the area between the late 1350s to the early 1500s. It is said that because of their tyranny, the people had to practice their religion in secret. A reign of terror overtook the area, but the Saraswath Brahmans practiced their religion privately without upsetting the rulers. Many of the Konkani speaking people of coastal northern Karnataka, were converted to Islam as a result of the Islamic rule. The Islamic Konkanis adopted the Persian alphabet, but the Brahmans retained the Devnagari alphabet in secret. Even to this day, there are Konkani speaking Muslims in northern coastal Karnataka. They are called Navayat Muslims and they are mostly mugars [fishermen], but some still wear the sacred Hindu thread, janu, despite the almost 400 years after conversion into Islam.

In 1498, Vasco da Gama of Portugal finally discovered the much sought sea route to India. He landed in Kazikhode [Calicut], Kerala, but after landing there sailed as far north as Goa. No sooner, the Portuguese ordered an attack on Goa, in the name of the Portuguese king. In 1510, the Portuguese fleet led by commander Alfanso de Albuquerque attacked Goa and destroyed Sultan of Bijapur's army. The Muslims were driven out of the area and the Portuguese set up their East Indies Empire based in Goa. No sooner, the Spanish Inquisition began in the Iberian peninsula and spread quickly into the hearts of Portugal. The Portuguese were quick to notice the indigenous people of Goa and their "need" to be converted. Force conversions began in Goa as early as the mid 1500s. Missionaries were given the authority to mass-convert the Hindus and have them slaughtered for refusal. The temples were again burned, scriptures destroyed. From village to village, the missionaries came with their men and forced the people to convert to Catholicism. In some villages, they even worked out deals with the inhabitants. Half of them were converted and half left out. This was perhaps the worst of times seen by the Konkani people. Although the people of the lower castes were converted, the Saraswath Brahmans decided to escape. Having thrown the idols of their Kul-Devatas (resident deities) into wells, thousands of Saraswath Brahman families fled to interior Maharashtra and coastal Karnataka. It is said that once tensions died down, the Brahman men alone traveled back to their native places and brought back their Kul-Devatas. The families who escaped were never to see Goa again. The settled down in their new homes in Karnataka and Maharashtra and some even migrated far south as Cochin, Kerala. A large percentage of the escapees, though settled in the present districts of Uttar Kannad and Dakshin Kannad in Karnataka. The Keladi Nayak Rajas of Bendore supported them and urged them to settle down in this area because they were renowned agriculturists. They lived under the rule of the Bendore Nayak rajas, who granted them land, especially Shivappa Nayak. By 1763, the Uttar and Dakshin Kannad districts were the only regions of Karnataka that were not under the Muslim rule. The kingdom of Mysore in the southern Dakhin had already been taken by Hyder Ali from the Wodeyar rajas. He progressed westward past the western ghats in 1763, into these districts and took over the plains also from the Bendore king. In 1782, Sultan Tippu Sahib came to the throne after his father, Hyder Ali. He was known for his equal treatment for all races, except he was under the impression that the Christians of coastal Karnataka were siding against him and helping the British. He imprisoned about 50,000 Konkani Christians for suspicion in 1784. These Konkani Christians had also moved into Uttar and Dakshin Kannad from Goa, originally descendants of the Konkani speaking folk of Goa.

By this time, the British had well made it into India and had taken over several areas already of both North and South India. They had already had the state of Tamilnadu, then known as Madras. In 1782, after Tippu Sahib refused to incorporate his Karnataka empire in with the Madras presidency, he fought a battle with the British forces and crushed them. In the treaty of Mangalore of 1784, he declared his empire independent of the British empire. He then imprisoned the Konkani Christians, and took them to his fort in Srirangapatanam, Karnataka for imprisonment. He kept the British out of his empire until 1799 when a weak Tippu Sahib and his army were defeated in the battle of Srirangapatanam and the state of Karnataka, then known as Mysore, was incorporated in with the Madras presidency. The Christians were freed at the time and were allowed to settle back into their homeland of the Kannad districts.

From 1799 to 1960, the Konkanis lived in two separate kingdoms. The Konkanis of Goa lived under the Portuguese rule until it was finally released in 1960 and the Konkanis of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Kerala lived under the British Raj until 1947, when India achieved its' independence. After the Portuguese refused to give up their possession of Goa, Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru sent the Indian army and drove them out. In this period of almost 200 years, they changed in many ways. First the Konkani language lost its alphabet, literature and poetry completely. It changed into the language it presently is, a language of daily life, rarely if ever written using other alphabets. The Konkanis of Karnataka mixed a lot of Kannada into their language, the ones in Maharashtra began speaking Marathi to so much of an extent, that they no longer speak Konkani, and the ones in Kerala mixed Malayalam. The Konkanis of Goa were forced to abandon their script and forced to use the Roman script. They were forced to speak Portuguese, whenever possible. Of course, they did not abandon the language altogether. Most people who still spoke Konkani, used a lot of Portuguese words. The Portuguese developed and used the Roman script for Konkani and allowed it to used only for Christian writings. The first Bible in any Indian language was written using this Roman script in Konkani and the first book published in India was also using the same script.

FACTS ABOUT THE KONKANI LANGUAGE

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The first Marathi-Konkani book was a catechism (cartilha) printed at the College of St. Paul around Oct. 1556- Dec. 156. There are contemporary references to it, but no copy has survived.

Also Doutrina Christam em Lingoa Bramana Canarim of Fr. Thomas Stephen was printed at Rachol in 1622. There are copies of it at National Library of Lisbon and at the Vatican Library. Prof. Mariano Saldanha reprinted it with notes in 1945.

There is Arte da Lingoa Canarim composed by the same Thomas Stephen of 1640, and copies are found at the National Library of Lisbon and at SOAS, London.

Some other Facts on the Konkani Language:

The first book in Konkani was written by Fr. Thomas Steven in 1651.

The first konkani weekly "Udentichem Sallok" was published in Pune by Edward Bruno D'Souza in 1893.

In 1976, the Sahitya Academy recognized Konkani as a language.

Gulab - the konkani illustrated monthly - has been published for the last 15 years.

By Mahesh Shenoy

Settlement in Kerala

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The last of those who were expelled by the Portuguese from Goa landed in Calicut but were promptly driven out by the Zamorin. And so they went to Cochin and Travancore. This happened sometime in the year 1560 A. D.

It is seen from the Thitooram issued by Vira Kerala Varma (1624-1637) the Raja of Cochin to Cochin Mahajanams inscribed in a copper plate in the year 286 of the Puduvaippu era i.e. 1627A.D. the Raja gave the Konkanis certain rights and privileges to be enjoyed by them. (Copper plate Numbered 6,State Archives, Ernakulam). There are pieces of evidence to prove that stray members of the community had their settlement in Cochin since the early part of 13th century A.D. The Diwan of Cochin in his letter addressed to W. Cullen, British Resident of then States of Travancore and Cochin, states: "The traditions that exist regarding the first immigration of Konkanis into Cochin State that owing to certain religious disputes they were obliged to leave their native country Conkan with their idols in 1294 A.D. and travelling southward they came to the territory of His Highness the Raja of Cochin having obtained grants of land and assured promises of protection from His Highness, they settled in Cochin and formed themselves into a community which they named "Conkanastha Mahajanam" (Diwan’s Dairy, Vol. 144/1858 dated 6-3-1858; State Archives, Ernakulam).

Again in the year 307 of the Puduvaippu era, i.e., in 1648A.D., the Raja of Cochin, Vira Kerala Varma, the Palluruthy adoptee (1646-55) gave the community under a "Thitooram" the civil and criminal powers to be exercised by them within a well-defined boundary called ‘Sanketem’. They called their place of settlement "Gosripuram", which is the derivation of the word Goapuri. Again, there still remains a plot of land in Cochin called ‘Sastiparamba’ to commemorate the fact that the Saraswaths of Cochin originally belonged to Sasashti (Salcette). In ‘Sastiparamba’ there is an old temple of Damodari, a ‘Kuladevata’. After their settlement in Cochin the Saraswats became supreme in trade and commerce. Sardar K.M.Panikkar writes in his Malabar and the Dutch (p. 7): "The Moorish trading community was practically non-existent in Cochin and in its stead there had grown up the "Canarenes" a Hindu Community from Konkan Districts who worked as the agents of Portuguese. The Canarenes or as we now call them the Konkanies – were wholly dependent on their European masters, so that when the Portuguese went away from Cochin they became equally serviceable to Dutch". No doubt, their influence during the Dutch period and the early period of the British is evident from the letter of Mr. W. Cullen, the British Resident, to Mr. T. Pycroft, Chief Secretary to Government, Fort St. George, Madras, wherein it is stated "Every European house of business belonging to a European in the company’s town of Cochin have these Conkanies in their employment and they are their chief Managers, and they have therefore great influence". (Report submitted by W. Cullen, Mr. General Resident to the Chief Secretary to Government, Fort St.Goerge, dated October 1856).

The Dutch had settled at the full tide of Konkani predominance. They had ceded to them the right of collecting income from Mattancherry and Chellayi, to collect farms and customs of Amaravati and to conduct the affairs of Mattancherry and Chellayi and of Konkani temples. It was also stipulated that the Raja shall impose no new demand on the Konkanies that they shall have full liberty to complain to the Dutch Governor, if aggrieved, and that the Raja shall not interfere in any matters of the temple without the knowledge and consent of the Company. Again, an extract from "Travancore Archaeological Series" No. IV & V, 1910 Edition, mentions the following facts regarding Konkanies made out of Paliyam Plates of the 322nd year of the Puduvaipu Era (22-3-1663) in connection with the treaty made with the Dutch East India Company by the Raja of Cochin :

"The representatives of the konkani Mahajanam requested the ancestors of the Raja of cochin to take them (konkanies) under their protection and also build for them a temple. There upon, a plot of land was given to them for the latter purpose and also arrangements made for the conduct of festivals in the temple built by them. The Raja now binds himself to protect these subjects as in times of his misfortunes these subjects amply helped him with money, he promises further in matter of protection and punishment the konkanies shall be treated just in the same manner as the other Brahmanas".

Subsequent History:

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The Saraswats had, of course, their share of travails of history over the centuries. In 1294 A.D., in the wake of Allaudin’s conquest of the Deccan, temples and houses were pillaged and plundered. It was a century later that the stout-hearted Saraswat Brahmin, Madhav Mantri, joined hands with the Vijayanagar Ruler, Sri Hari Hara II, and ousted the Muslims from Goa.

In 1470 A.D., Bhamini Sultan, Mohamed Shah III, carried plunder and destruction into Goa. Forty years later, the Portuguese supplented the Sultan of Bijapur who was then holding sway, and they, in their turn, lost no time in calling upon the Saraswat Brahmins to embrace Christianity. A letter of the king of Portugal Joao III to the Viceroy Joao Castro says: "We command you to discover by diligent officers all the idols and to demolish and break them up in pieces where they are found, proclaiming severe punishments against anyone who shall dare to work, cast, make in sculpture, engrave, paint or bring to light any figure of an idol in metal, brass, wood, plaster or any other material, or bring them from other places; and against those who publicly or privately celebrate any of their sports, keep by them any heathenish frankincense or assist and hide the Brahmins, the sworn enemies of the Christian profession… It is our pleasure that you punish them with that severity of the law without admitting any appeal or dispensation in the least." (Sardar K.M. Panickar: Malabar and the Portuguese, pp. 186-87). The official figures show that in all 280 temples of Berdez and 300 temples of Salcette were destroyed. Of course, the Portuguese built churches in many places where the temples stood.

As a result of a decree issued in 1559 A. D., by King Joao III of Portugal threatening expulsion of non-believers in Christianity, especially Brahmins from Sasashti (Goa), 12,000 Saraswat families fled from the Salcette District of Goa. About 4,000 went north-east to settle down in Maharashtra and Indore, and others went south to settle in Karwar and South Kanara. (Rayasapatra of H.H. Upendra Tirtha Swamiji of Shree Kashi Mutt 1654 A. D., a record kept in Tirumala Devaswom Temple at Cochin.)

Mutt:

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The discovery of copper plate No. 8, (one plate broken into two parts written in Kannada language & in Devanagari script) preserved in the in the state Archives, Ernakulam, reveals the establishment of Kashi Mutt. The lineage of the Swamiji of Kashi Mutt had its start from Vijayeendra Tirtha of Kumbhakona Mutt and refers to Kashi Mutt Swamiji as ‘Moola Samasthanadipathy’ of Madwacharya lineage. The copper plate bears the Saka era of 1603 (1681 A.D.). It was issued to Shrimad Raghavendra Tirtha, the disciple of Shrimad Upendra Tirtha of Kashi Mutt by Sri Satyadeesha Tirtha disciple of Sri Satyabinava Tirtha of Uttradi Mutt.

Derivation of Konkani:

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As Goa formed part of Konkan Desh, the name ‘Konkani’ was applied to their language and also to the people who settled there. It is a fusion of two varieties of Prakrits the Paisachi Prakrit of Punjab and Kashmir and the Magadhi Prakrit of the Aryans of North Bihar.

Migration:

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Historians have recorded their migration to Trihotrapur, the modern Tirhut division of Bihar, where they spread Aryan culture amongst the common people. Further references to this community are to be found in the Bhagavata Purana, the Bhavishyottara Purana and in the Bhlya Parva in Mahabharata. They inhibited many parts of Punjab, Kashmir, Sind, Rajputana and also Saurashtra.

Their further migration from Bihar to Gomantak is recorded in the "Sahyadri Khand" of Skanda Purana (uttarardha 1-47/48). The Saraswats settled themselves in two western provinces of Goa, 66 settlements of 10 Gothras, called ‘Sasasti’ (the present Salcete) and 30 settlements called ‘Tiswadi’, now known as Illaha de Goa. As a result they came to be known later as Shannavikars or settlers in 96 village which name, in common parlance, became Shannavatis and ultimately Shenvis as they are still called in Maharashtra.

Gowda Saraswath Brahmin(GSB) community in the history of Kerala-I

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As regards the Gowda Saraswath Brahmins community in kerala, the department of State Archives, kerala, states "Pious godfearing and at the same time enterprising in worldly pursuits, the Gowda Saraswaths commonly known as Konkanies have made an indelible mark in the history of kerala. While the prosperity and renown of this community is by and large self-made, the benevolent and tolerant rulers of kerala could also be credited with having provided the necessary climate for the free development of the innate gifts with which many members of their community were blessed.......". These Gowda Saraswath Brahmins claim their origin on the banks of the now extinct river Saraswathi of the Punjab. As they lived to the north of the vindhyas, they were distinguished by the appellation of "GOWD", meaning those belonging to the Northern sect of Brahmins. Being eminent scholars well versed in Vedic lore, their services were often requisitioned for performing yajnas by famous kings of yore. They established Gurukulas in Aryavarta to teach and train the young. The Brahmins of Bharat were divided into two groups :- those to the north of the vindhyas being known as "Pancha Gowdas", while those to the south as "Pancha Dravidas". Saraswats, therefore, belong to the Pancha Gowda Group. Hence the name Gowda Saraswats.